About Me

A bit about me

Of course, the primary thing is that the therapist you choose is properly trained and experienced.

On top of that, though, you need to "click" with them personally, otherwise nothing will really work and you won't achieve what you've set out to do.

Here's a bit about me, to give you an idea of the sort of person and therapist I am.

If there's anything else you'd like to know, you can always get in touch with me.
Photo of counselling room

Personal

In common with many counsellors, I came from another career first, which in my case was as an IT Manager and Director.

Computers have quite a lot of problems of their own, but don't respond very well to being invited to talk about their issues. I found that their users, however, got on much better with this talking approach. That ultimately led me into taking up counselling as a new career in 2005.

Owing to my background, some of the issues I am well-placed to deal with include:
  • Online relationships - interacting and making friendships with people you have never met, be it on social media, an online game or whatever you choose - I don’t consider this anti-social or peculiar and I know how tough and emotional it can become.

  • The difficulties of being a manager or team-leader - whether it’s dealing with personnel issues, difficult staff, difficult managers or organisational problems, managing remote teams, hiring, disciplinaries, redundancies, etc., and this includes the personal transitional issues people have when they first take on a managing role.

  • Changing careers - the things to consider and the problems you face when you want to make that jump.
I also lecture in counselling from time to time, for various places and in various guises.

In my spare time I enjoy craft projects, singing, reading novels, board games and computer gaming, watching films, comedy and sci-fi, and still spending time grappling with various computers; you never really escape from IT.

I also have a strong sense of humour and believe that just because something is very serious it doesn’t necessarily have to be cold and soulless as well.
Laptop with sticking plasters on it

Professional

I treat all my clients with a generally constructivist cognitive approach, i.e. starting from the premise that you have your own unique experiences and world-view, and you have to live in the context of those. It is always up to you whether to try something or work in a certain way, or not. The closer we fit the work to the person you are, the better it works and the better it sticks.

My professional qualifications

After an initial three years of training, I gained my "Advanced Diploma in Counselling" in 2008, which is in Humanistic, Person-centred Therapy. This qualification involves seeing clients through voluntary placements. The Advanced Diploma is what is considered the minimum qualification level at which a counsellor is "fit to practise", and is the level of qualification the majority of counsellors have.

I then continued with formal study for two more years and attained my "Higher Diploma in Counselling" (2010), which is in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, or CBT, the equivalent of a foundation degree.

Then, in 2015, I achieved my Level 6 Diploma in Psychotherapy (informed by research), which is a BA equivalent qualification.

I also regularly attend workshops, read and research in various related topics to keep up-to-date with new ideas.

My professional memberships


I am on two Accredited Registers which have been accredited by the Professional Standards Authority: NCS and BACP. This initiative was set up by the government to improve standards of safety for the public.

I hold professional insurance for working as a counsellor.
Find me on Counselling Directory
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